


The Book Club

by AdelaideGrace



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Drug Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-13 03:01:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29519847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdelaideGrace/pseuds/AdelaideGrace
Summary: Severus Snape and Hermione Granger are forced into a rehabilitative book club. When their damaged selves become involved with one another, a passionate and unhealthy affair ensues, which threatens to end them both.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Severus Snape, Luna Lovegood/Ron Weasley, implied LuciusMalfoy/GinnyWeasley
Kudos: 11





	1. Book meeting: 1

Severus snape was an unforgiving man. “No Minerva, I will not partake in your little charade to gather the Golden Trio back together.”

“But Severus,” Minerva countered “everyone else has agreed to take part in the Book Club. It is just you who insists on isolating yourself in this – this – well frankly it’s a hole Severus.”

“I am well aware that it’s a hole Minerva but it doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I am perfectly satisfied in this ‘hole’ if it means I don’t have to address those imbeciles and dunderheads that exist on the other side of these walls – well did, until one managed to find themselves standing directly in front of me.” 

Minerva’s lips pursed at this last jibe but lazily quirked into a smirk.

“Need I remind you Severus why you are able to stay cooped up in your little abode. One may even say that you owed me a favour.”

Severus was fucked. He owed her a life debt after she saved him in the final battle.   
With a low growl, Severus gritted his teeth. “Fine you infuriating witch but I hope you know that this is my debt repaid.”

“Of course, Severus. I didn’t want to have to force your hand, but I honestly think it will do you all some good.”

Minerva was nearly singing as she picked up her sickly plum gloves from his settee and made her way to the door.

“Now wait there Minerva. Who will be going to this little gathering? How often will I have to attend? How long will I have to be there? Do I have to bring anythi- actually bugger that, I’m not bringing anything.”

The old bat scurried onto the front porch and spun around just in time to impart a farewell.  
“Tuesday at 6 o’clock Severus.”, she chimed, “my chambers at Hogwarts. Just bring yourself and all will be explained.” And with that, Minerva once again spun away and was gone.

After the endless years of spying for the Light and acting in the face of the Dark, Severus craved for some loneliness, but the world was not done with him yet. How silly of him to think he’d actually be allowed to live his life as he pleased. He’d be dragged in to see the Golden trio and whoever else was silly enough to amuse Minerva and fall for the absurd notion that she had their best interests at heart.

Severus had led a perfectly tolerable existence this past year. After the final battle, it had not taken an extensive amount of time to recover and he was found to be innocent of acts in favour of the dark side at his trial thanks to a letter left behind by Albus Dumbledore, explaining his indispensable work throughout the war for the light. And so, to Severus’ distaste, he had become a glorified hero and as all heroes do, he locked himself away at Spinner’s End, doing what he did best, brewing, researching and drinking. Making quite a substantial profit from selling his potions under an anonymous name, he was able to keep himself with enough money to continue his brewing business and buy himself a nice bottle of Blorrick’s Finest Whiskey every week. Some might say he was quite well off, but money had no relevance to Severus as long as he could live his life in solitude –a luxury in which he would now lose.

At 5 to 6, Severus was stood outside the doors of Minerva’s new headmistress chambers at Hogwarts. With a polite knock on the rustic door, it took half a second for the door to swing open, revealing a very smug McGonagall gesturing for him to step inside. With a customary billow, he entered into a moderately sized room with scarlet red walls which seemed to shimmer with the bronze flames oozing from a dimly lit hearth to the left. The room was longer than it was wide and at the far end of the room,  
lay a wall of shelves each cramped with books of different colours and sizes, most of which looked ancient with cracked spines and a thick sheet of dust. The carpet was a deep burgundy, much deeper in colour than the four walls and thick with soft fibres. Around the room stood a few sticks of candles, over 20 which gave the room a homely, warm feel- a feeling in which Severus did not often mingle. And drawn back to reality, Severus  
faced in utter disgust at the seven other people, bar Minerva which occupied the room.

Surrounding the hearth, facing Severus sat a long pine green sofa, embroidered with threads of gold at the seams which could accommodate approximately three people, comfortably, at a squeeze four. To the left of the sofa sat Ronald Weasley with a look of pure contempt cemented on his face. Under the crook of the Weasley’s left arm sat Luna Lovegood, as away with the fairies as ever, but gave a smile and a wave to her ex-professor. Next to Miss Lovegood was Ginevra Weasley, her legs tucked underneath her to the right and one elbow perched on the arm of the sofa. She seemed to be looking to the left of the sofa, nearer the hearth, where a three-legged stool was perched, seating Harry Potter who looked far too pleased at Severus’ arrival. Severus returned his sickening grin with a scowl of his own.  
Directly opposite the hearth, was a love-seat for two, slightly lighter in shade than the pine settee but obviously part of a set as it too was also embroidered with golden threads. Upon this smaller sofa, sat Lucius Malfoy and the Malfoy Protegee, young Draco. The Malfoys redirected their support towards the side of the light about a month before the Final Battle and attempted to feed Severus information, whilst remaining under the  
guise of followers of the Dark. When they were granted innocence at the trial, the Malfoy’s were still surrounded by apprehension from the public and so Severus concluded that this Book Club must have been a form of ‘community service’ to show the public they truly were a part of the Light wizarding community. Both Malfoys gave a courteous nod to their close friend. Severus had stayed in correspondence with Lucius and his son since Cissy had left England and demanded a divorce. She was furious after discovering her husband and their son’s betrayal to the Dark Lord – whom she surprisingly had an unwavering loyalty to.  
Leaving his thoughts behind, Severus stepped further inside to see who was seated at the two tartan green wingback chairs that were facing away from him.   
He walked to the centre of the room and turned to see Hermione Granger, slumped in the wingback chair closest to the fire, staring into its flames and fiddling her lip with her left hand. She was slimmer than when he had last seen her over a year ago. She did not acknowledge Severus or seem to notice his presence. She just continued to watch the withering fire.

As the only seat left, Severus sat himself into the twin wing-back chair, making himself comfortable. 

“Well I am very happy to see you all here.” This was met with varying degrees of grunts and agreements from Minerva’s congregation. “I hope you will all use this as a good opportunity to gain some sort of peace of mind”, she said with a pointed look at Hermione, who made no effort to respond. “Right. Well, pick a book from the case and I’ll leave you to it.”

“Aren’t you staying Minera?” It was Harry Potter who asked this, possibly unhappy with the notion that he’d be stuck in a room with three ex-deatheaters. 

“Oh no, I’ve got quite enough work to be getting on with.” She exited as quickly as she came.

Minerva left behind absolute silence as the eight remaining occupants of the room carefully avoided eye contact with each other. Severus was quite prepared to up and leave at any second and tell Minerva to stuff herself, whether it meant he was at the back end of a jinx or not. That was until Miss Lovegood stood up and wandered over to the book-shelf at which point all eyes swivelled to her direction. 

She ran her fingers along each seam, causing small wafts of dust to envelop her fingers before stopping at a small burgundy hardback with gold lettered writing. “I think this one should do nicely”, she announced in that serene Irish lilt, whilst fingering its pages. After a few short duplicating spells, a copy was passed around to each member. Pride and Prejudice, the copy read. 

Hermione Granger, renowned for her bookish ways, barely even acknowledged the cover. 

“So what are you doing here anyway, Malfoy?” Ron interceded. Quick to intercept, Harry piped up “Ok, I think that’s enough for today anyway. Come on Ron. We’ll read the first chapter and discuss it next week, yes?” Hesitant nods of agreement passed around the room and Harry dragged Ron out with Ginny Weasley trailing behind.

As Severus watched Granger get up and pass out the room, he couldn’t help but notice her protruding cheekbones and shadowed eyes. She exuded a darkness that wasn’t present before and it intrigued Severus. It almost called out to his in a wholly unsettling way. Just as he was about to leave himself, Lucius grabbed him by the arm.

“Come for a drink at the manor Severus, we’ve not seen you in far too long.” An equally agreeable nod of encouragement from Draco meant that Severus struggled to say no begrudgingly accepted.

Severus had remained in contact with Draco and Lucius, but it was impossible to ignore the awkward chasm between them. Ultimately, Severus had lied to the Malfoys for years about his true intentions in becoming a spy for the order. They would always be friends, but it would take more than a shared past to settle the rift between them, although it seemed Malfoy was eager to reconcile. 

The three of them piled out and apparated to Malfoy manor, where two wingback chairs and two glasses or whiskey perched. 

“Draco won’t be joining us Severus. I believe he has plans with Theodore Knott.”  
Severus had no doubt that these ‘plans’ would be carnally orientated. 

Neither man said anything for a while, allowing the nursing of alcohol to soften the tension between them. After two top-ups of whiskey, Lucius finally inquired into Severus’ research and just like that, they were enthralled in a debate about the legitimacy of Agarwood oil as a catalyst in aphrodisiac potions. They’d been talking for hours when Lucius noticed how many cups deep Severus was but decided not to ruin the careful truce that he had sorely missed. 

It was around midnight that Severus left and returned to his humble abode at Spinner’s end.


	2. Book meeting: 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short one.

At the next meeting, Severus arrived again to find everyone in the exact same positions as last time. It was deja-vu. Again, he gave a small nod to Lucius and Draco and took his seat in the twin wing-back chair next to Hermione Granger. She seemed even more worse for wear if possible, the rings around her eyes somehow more pronounced. In a sickening way, it suited her. Severus couldn’t help but find some comfort in her equally bleak existence, almost as if they were on parr. A black charcoal makeup of some sort was smudged across her eyes and a bloody tint of lipstick which barely coated her lips. Hermione Granger was a wreck, haunted by the battles of her past and Severus Snape couldn’t help but watch the result of her self-implosion.

He didn’t pay attention to the rest of the meeting, barely hearing the discussion that surrounded him. Severus was finding it most difficult to resist nodding off then and there. He was still fighting off his morning whiskey and enjoying the brief alcoholic haze he had afforded himself. At home, a bottle of the corner shop’s cheapest red was awaiting him. The sooner this was over, the better.

A little while later, Lucius was shaking his hand and Severus was shaken from his musings concerning Hermione Granger. 

“Goodbye Severus. I’d invite you for a night cap but I’m still recovering from last weeks”, Lucius explained. 

“Yes, bye Lucius.”, Severus replied, hoping to cut off the conversation as efficiently as possible to catch a glimpse of Granger before she left. Unfortunately, Lucius seemed determined to blather on about something completely uninteresting. He had no luck in intriguing Snape, however. He watched, Severus only continued to watch Granger as she stood up to leave behind Potter, remaining just as detached as the previous meeting. 

Severus nearly returned to Lucius’ musings when his eyes met the same hazel eyes that had distracted him from the meeting. For just a second, the bars behind Hermione Granger’s eyes broke and Severus saw something close to uncertainty in them. The crease between her eyes became deeper as they looked at one another and just as quickly as she turned to him, she’d gone. 

Severus was ready for that bottle of wine.


	3. Book meeting: 3

That week, Severus had a bad week, neglecting his business and rejecting many owls. He continued to fall victim to several drunken stupors, desperately trying to burn away the images of his past from behind the lids of his eyes. The war had ravaged him, both mentally and physically. There’s only so many whippings one man can bear before the damage becomes ingrained within every aspect of life. Most days he spent his life in his pit at Spinner’s along with the company of some form of vice. 

One may question what would make a man so tormented by life and experience to continue existing and Severus Snape’s answer was punishment. For his part in the murder of his only love, for the victims of his own ruthless slaughters as a spy and for joining the cause that ended so many lives of those who were not pure of blood. Severus Snape refused to die because he had no right end the life of another, not even himself. So, he wrapped himself up at Spinner’s end destroying his liver and reliving his crimes for the rest of his life. 

What he didn’t factor in was the arrival of Hermione Granger, a woman just as fractured and sinister as himself. People like them sought out one another, seeking the only other human who may just be dark enough to defile the others soul even further, so it was understandable that Snape was unhealthily fascinated with her. He’d thought about her a few times now, wondering what it was she was punishing herself for, why her vitality had become so disfigured. He’d never spared a thought to her before the past two weeks and all of a sudden, she’d become this enigma. After a while, Severus drained the rest of his wine and staggered upstairs to his bed, dreading his impending hangover. 

\-----------------------------

The next week, Severus had managed to pull himself together for the book club. The last thing he need was Minerva knocking on his door at an ungodly hour. He arrived, collapsed in his wing- back chair and waited for the last couple of people to arrive. He did this all without a thought or acknowledgement towards Hermione Granger.

A few minutes into the meeting, everyone was settled and conversation about the book began. Severus refused to participate just as much as the previous weeks but kept an ear out to some of the discussion.

“Ginny, Darcy’s obviously just shy. He’s not a snob, he just doesn’t know how to speak to people,” Potter declared.

“You would say that Harry. He’s a privileged snob with no manners considering his supposed education” the female Weasley countered “and Merlin, you go on as if you fancy the bugger” she giggled with an air of uncertainty.

“Don’t be silly Ginny. You always have to make something out of nothing.”

Snape couldn’t help but guffaw at that and in an instant every set of eyes in the room had swivelled to him.

“What I’m laughing at is your assumption that Darcy has no manners” Severus reasoned, attempting to rescue himself. “He has them, he just knows not to waste them on people like the Bennetts who have no standards themselves-“

“Oh, look who’s speaking” a voice to his left murmured. If the occupants of the room were shocked with Snape’s contribution, the room was gobsmacked at the first words uttered by Hermione Granger in months. “You’re a bully of a man who spared no manners for anyone in your life. You thrive on inflicting your disturbed presence on others just to make everyone else’s life as miserable as your own existence.”

“Of course the girl who’s suffered a mid-life crisis in her twenties can talk. How long has it been since you last saw your parents Miss Granger?” He knew how to twist the knife.  
“How long has it been since you latched onto your last whore, Professor?” And so did she apparently. 

Suddenly, the air seemed stifling and far too hot for a few minutes. All that could be heard was the soft exhalations of the group, waiting for another jab. Hermione returned to observing the hearth as if nothing had happened and Snape glared at anyone who dared make eye contact with him.

“Well, I think that Austen’s depiction of Darcy as a privileged aristocrat with no consideration for others, especially Elizabeth, is significant to his ultimate realisation surrounding his indecent behaviour. Without which, he would lack the redemption that was necessary for Elizabeth’s forgiveness”, Luna announced. Luna had the ability to say the perfect thing at the perfect time, which seemed to compliment Ron’s brash nonsense marvellously. At least the attention was drawn away from the brooding pair in the corner. 

“Well, I think that’s a fabulous way to end today”, Draco remarked in his charismatic drawl, earning a stifled giggle from Harry Potter. Perhaps that was the biggest shock of the evening.


	4. Book meeting: 4

At the fourth meeting, Severus arrived a little sloshed again, though he carried it off well. It didn’t seem as though anyone had noticed. The night before had been tainted by bad dreams, nightmares of Burbage and Albus, faces he had seen in the last moments of their lives. To carry the burden of a human’s last breath is a hard one. To carry the burden of a hundred, is near impossible. This meant that Severus had the excuse of resorting to liquid courage once more. 

Upon arrival, Severus observed some sort of tension between the female Weasley and Potter, who looked slightly drawn and irritable. Ron and Luna were just as sickeningly affectionate as normal, but what was interesting was the lively conversation between Ron, Lucius and Draco. Severus assumed it was something quidditch related and seemed relatively amiable. It was odd to see the last three people he imagined getting along in a conversation. For a second, it even made him angry, that they were able to move on with life, forget the past and carry on whilst he remained suffocated by nightmares and memories. He’d been jealous a handful of times in his life and rightfully so at times but this moment was one of them.

Severus made his way to his wing back chair, completely ignoring Granger. He was not quite over his grudge yet and refused to give the girl any attention. Everyone settled in and the meeting began rather successfully. Severus even chimed in himself a couple of times. Potter and the female Weasley were stiff and uncertain around each other. It was evident they’d had some sort of fight, whilst Harry himself seemed more interested in whatever Draco was saying- intensely interested in fact. Luna continued to surprise no one with her occasional profound contribution and Ron Weasley seemed most enthralled by the bag of salt and vinegar swirls he’d brought. If he ate any faster, he’d inhale the whole bag. Severus had to force himself to eat these days. It just seemed to much of a chore and usually, he’d get too carried away with brewing and research to consider making something. Unfortunately, it made him slightly on the lean side. Whilst still being quite toned from lugging around cauldrons all day, it meant that he felt his scars were slightly more pronounced, slightly more obvious. 

Severus was quite engrossed in the discussions around him when he felt a soft brush against his hand. It almost caused him to flinch despite his lax state. With a slight adjustment of his head, he looked at his silent companion to see two brown orbs watching him. Whether it was the liquor or her lusty eyes, Severus did not know, but it made his cock stand to attention. In her stare, she held a proposition. All of a sudden, his grudge was forgotten and a different sort of tension existed between them. This continued on for the rest of the meeting.

Half an hour later, Severus Snape was fucking Hermione Granger against his kitchen table.


End file.
